I think this is a beautiful picture of Rina. And of course I am totally not biased or anything 🙂 She is getting soooo tall! Both Bry and I think she just went through another growth spurt. It will be weird to go back to a little one again when this next one is born 🙂

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If you have ever been to a traditional Passover Seder you are aware that there are 4 specific times during the Seder that you are suppose to drink (wine/grape juice). Before each drink the traditional blessing is chanted – Blessed are you Lord God, King of the Universe who creates the fruit of the vine. Amen. (only in Hebrew) and then everyone drinks. This tradition is called “The Four Cups” and there’s evidence that this was already in place before the time of Jesus.
This tradition came from a very careful reading of Exodus 6:6-7. “Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, “I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”
Believing that God does not waste ink and that every word is in Scripture for a reason and extremely important the Sages (Jewish teachers) asked themselves, why does God say the same thing four different times in that passage? The answer must be that He’s not repeating Himself, each statement refers to a different aspect of the salvation of Israel from Egypt.
First God says He would “bring you out…” Secondly, “I will deliver you from their bondage.” Thirdly, “I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm.” And finally, “I will take you for My people.” If each promise of God refers to a different aspect of God’s salvation, and since there’s a Psalm (116:13) that states, “I will lift up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord” then, it would be appropriate to drink 4 times to remember the fullness of the salvation of the LORD in the Exodus.
More on each of the four cups next week…